I've been noticing a growling rattle only upon acceleration and found out last night that it wasn't the muffler or fuel pump but seems to be coming from the area around the exhaust manifold. There doesn't seem to be any loose metal parts in that area but the sound is somewhere in the vicinity of the Oxygen Sensor/Exhaust manifold. The sound isn't there on idle... almost seems to come on at a certain level of engine vibration.

there also seems to be more oil residue on the engine from below the valve cover gasket all the way down to the oil filter (which looks to have black oil gunk all over the top of it.

Any ideas about what's going on?

would oil spew from the exhaust manifold gaskets (they look pretty cracked).

I'm gonna clean it up (since I spilled ATF all over it too -during my ATF flush) and try to isolate where it's coming from but the rattle makes me wonder.

I don't think it's coming from inside the engine (I hope!)

any thoughts or philosophical ramblings will be treated with the utmost respect.

jack
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Bad Blue, '86 245, 250,000 mi., Columbus, Ohio